Councilman Nowak and Mayor Pro Tem Johnson said no to RV park

A conceptual Mich-E-Ke-Wis RV park plan was presented at the municipal council meeting Thursday night.

Councilman Mike Nowak and Mayor Pro Tem Cindy Johnson said they both want the RV park proposal removed from the city’s master plan.

The presentation highlighted how the park would be funded. What it would look like. And how the park would generate money for the community.

Despite an in-depth plan, many residents said they felt an RV park would not be financially or viably beneficial to the community.

Residents took to the podium during public comments soon after the presentation.

Beckie Durfee is a local resident. Durfee grew up Alpena. She left. And then returned.

“Upon moving back here though, I was disappointed to learn that this proposed RV park at Mich–E–Ke–Wis was still being debated,” said local resident Beckie Durfee. “This idea has been overwhelmingly opposed for a number of years. I don’t understand why we’re considering something so intrusive, receiving little to no positive economic impact. It is not at all environmentally friendly and it decreases our own use to public land.”

Another resident, Jim Shaffer, shared the same sentiment. He didn’t grow up in Alpena, but said he loves what Mich-E-Ke-Wis means to him.

“Make no mistakes once it’s developed you don’t un–develop it,” said Jim Shaffer. “And they ain’t making no more shoreline like we got here in Alpena. We better protect it.”

The next City of Alpena Municipal Council meeting will be February 5th.